9Essay #1: Group Essay Building Background KnowledgeGROUP AWhat do you know about basketball? What qualities make a basketball player a good team member?GROUP BWhat are the qualifications for getting into college? What do admissions officers look for when selecting students for college admission?

10Group Work: Lesson 3Read the descriptions of 3 students who want to get into college and play on the basketball team.Discuss each applicant’s qualifications & complete the chart with your group.Choose one applicant who you think should be chosen (your claim), and list 3 reasons why he is the best choice (evidence).

11Making a Claim & Giving Evidence: Sentence StartersStudent ___ is the best choice because he ___________________________________ .Another reason to choose Student ____ is ______________________________________ .The student with the best qualifications is ______________, because he ____________ ______________________________________ .The student we select is __________. He is the best choice because _____________ ______________________________________ .

12Explaining Evidence in WritingThe Director of Admissions needs your recommendation in writing. Write one paragraph in which you state your claim, and explain your evidence. Write 4-6 sentences with your group.

13Sample ParagraphThe student with the best qualification is Student A. Student A’s coaches say he is a “team player” who “knows when to shoot and when to pass.” The ability to work and play well with others is an important skill, especially when teamwork is required for success. Another reason to choose Student A is that he averages 5.6 assists per game, a higher average than either of the other two athletes. Those statistics and reports suggest he is more interested in winning than in getting individual attention for himself. Finally, Student A is academically talented. His 3.2 GPA and is class rank demonstrate that he is ready for difficult college classwork.

14Counterclaims & RebuttalsCounterclaim: An argument that disagrees with another argumentExample:Claim – Nikes are the best kind of shoe, because they are comfortable and stylish.Counterclaim – Adidas are better than Nikes, because Nikes are too expensive.

15Counterclaims & RebuttalsRebuttal: A statement that gives reasons why a counterclaim is not true or should be ignored.Example:Claim – Nikes are the best kind of shoe, because they are comfortable and stylish.Counterclaim – Adidas are better than Nikes, because Nikes are too expensive.Rebuttal – Nikes are more expensive than Adidas, but it’s worth paying a lot of money for a good quality shoe.

16Using Counterclaims & Rebuttals in WritingLook at the reasons other groups made for their decisions. Which are different than yours?Identify 1 counterclaim from another group.Write a rebuttal – Explain why their counterclaim is not important or should be ignored.

17Rebuttals: Sentence StartersAlthough Student ____ has the best __________ , that is not as important as ______________________________ .While Student ____ is very good at ______________ , we believe it is more important to _______________.All the students are good at ______ ______________ , but Student ____ is the best at ______________________ .On our team / At our university, we need someone like Student ____, who can _______________________ .

20Work Period: Complete DraftingWith your group, review the paragraphs you have written with your group. Your paragraphs should explain your claim, provide evidence, present a counterclaim, and give a rebuttal.Now, you are going to write a conclusion.

22Conclusions: Sentence StartersIn conclusion, …We have seen that …I believe … for the following reasons: First… Second… Finally…After examining the evidence, it is clear that…The evidence shows that …

26Essay #2: Individual Essay Building Background – Conversation QuestionsWarm-Up: Discuss the conversation questions with a group of 3-4 people. Be prepared to share the answer to one question with the class.

27Reading a Writing SituationRead the Writing Situation, then answer the two questions below.Identify the question: What are you supposed to choose?Identify your audience: Who are you trying to convince?

29Turn Your Tree Map into a Thesis StatementThesis statement = The sentence that tells your readers exactly what your essay will be about. The thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introduction (first) paragraph.Use parallelism to write a thesis statement.Ex: I believe that tobacco should be against the law because tobacco endangers everyone’s health, pollutes the environment, and wastes valuable energy.

30Provide EvidenceFinish your Tree Maps by adding evidence under each reason you listed yesterday. Ask yourself:Why is this important?How can I prove this is true?What can I say that will help someone else understand why I am right about this?Use your Tree Map to write 1-3 Body Paragraphs – each “branch” of your Tree Map should be its own paragraph.

31Add a Counterclaim & RebuttalExplain your claim, reasons, and evidence to your group.Work together to brainstorm a counterclaim.My favorite piece of clothing is…I choose this because…What do you think other people would say to disagree with me?Write one counterclaim & your rebuttal.

32Adding a HookThe first sentence of your introduction should catch your readers’ attention.

33Step #2: DraftingPut it all together: Write your introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs.Use Sentence Starters to help youWrite in pencil so you can make changes laterDon’t worry about spelling, punctuation, or confusing parts – you will fix it when you revise and proofread.

34Step #3: RevisionUse the “Self Revisions” handout to identify things you need to change.Make at least 3 changes to your essay. Make itMore interesting for the reader!Easier to understand!More complete!A stronger argument – add more or better evidence!

35Step #4: ProofreadingAfter you type your essay, re-read it and check for mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.You may trade essays with a classmate to help each other find mistakes if you like.When you are done, submit your final version to Ms. Jaret via First Class.